Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Sometimes we practice regifting. We take a gift we’ve received, rewrap
it, and give it to someone else.

On the one hand, maybe regifting reflects a lack of appreciation for
the gift. On the other hand, maybe it’s good to give it away in hopes that someone else will appreciate it more and make better use of it.

Help us remember that you give us the gift of your Son with the
expectation that we’ll regift it.

Help us remember also that the more we regift the gift of your Son, the
more it becomes ours, and the more it becomes ours, the more we can give it
away.

Tuesday, December 20, 2016

So many difficult and troubling things happened in the world yesterday.

So many difficult and troubling things will happen in the world today.

It’s hard to maintain real faith in such circumstances. It’s hard to
have faith—real, honest, aware faith—with so many terrible things happening.

It’s hard for us to believe that you are working your purposes out when
so much horror is taking place.

We aren’t capable of such faith. It must come from you. So please give
us the gift of faith. Give us real faith that trusts in you even in the worst
of times. Give us faith that doesn’t turn away from the horrible things that
happen. Give us faith that looks right at them and trusts anyway. Give us faith
that leads us to do what we can to help.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

We order things online, and we fully expect to receive them. The
merchant tells us what day to expect our package, and we look for it on that
day. We can even track the shipment to find out where it is on its journey to
us.

Faith doesn’t work like that.

You have promised that Jesus is coming again. But you’ve not told us
when. And we can’t track him; we can’t know where he is on his way to us.

So help us be always on the lookout. Let us live in constant
anticipation.

Let our waiting be an active waiting. Help us do all we can to be the
presence of Christ in the world here and now.

While we keep an eye on the heavens, looking for Jesus, let us keep the
other eye on the earth, looking for people to love and help.

Monday, December 12, 2016

We never know what we’re living on the verge of. We never know what’s
about to happen. We never know how things are about to change. We never know whether
the change will be for better or for worse.

Make us ready for whatever is coming. Make us ready to adapt or to
resist, depending on what the situation calls for. Make us ready to base our
evaluations, decisions, and actions on how the life, death, and resurrection of
Jesus reveal your will and way to us.

We never know what we’re living on the verge of. Keep us always on the
verge of bearing witness to your love, grace, and mercy—no matter what happens.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Remove from us any attitudes and perspectives that might keep us from
seeing the ways in which you come to us.

Remove our pride, our selfishness, our prejudice, our fear, our
despair, and anything else that gets in the way of our seeing how you come to
us in ways that summon us to live with humility, with generosity, with love,
with trust, and with hope.

Fill us up with attitudes and perspectives that will enable us to see
the ways in which you come to us and to respond to you as you call us to
respond.

Let us pray ...

About Prayer 365

The prayers that appear at Prayer 365 are written and published by Michael L. Ruffin. Permission is granted to use or adapt these prayers in public worship with the condition that if a prayer is reproduced in a printed order of worship attribution is given. Permission is also granted to link to a prayer at this site provided that a link back to this blog is provided. All other rights are reserved. All Scripture quotations are from the New Revised Standard Version unless otherwise indicated.